Does the price on the website include UK VAT (Sales Tax @ 17.5%)?
Yes our prices do include the VAT - we have to charge VAT to Europe, please only press the zero VAT key if you are for example USA, Canada, Australia.Obviously the shopping cart cannot distinquish which Country you are ordering from, it is only when we process your order manually that we can see if you pressed the 'wrong' key and therefore we will need to request the VAT.We have to charge VAT to the following countries ( unless you are a business and can supply your personal VAT number) - Austria,Belgium,Bulgaria,Cyprus,Czech Republic,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,France,Germany,Greece,Hungary,Ireland,Italy,Latvia,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Malta,Netherlands,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Slovakia,Slovenia,Spain,Sweden & United Kingdom.

Q. Why are your brushes so low in price?
A. I wish i had a penny for each time I've answered this one over the last 25+ years!
By making brushes and selling to artists' direct through Mail Order, I am able to eliminate the 'middleman' or wholesaler. I simply don't have the same expensive overheads as some of the larger manufacturers. I use the best raw materials i can buy and do not compromise on quality.

Q. Which brush material do i use for each medium?
A. As a general rule of thumb the finest hair is used for watercolour. Kolinsky Sable being the ultimate, followed by Pure red Sable, Squirrel etc. At the moment, there are some excellent Nylon fibres which imitate Sable thus keeping costs low. It's not just about 'snap & spring' which are familiar terms but how the brush strokes the paper. Sable has the advantage of holding a huge quantity of liquid and 'flows' when pressed onto the paper. Some beginners/intermediates would choose Sable/Nylon blends or indeed 100% Nylon as the feeling of a controlled strokes is more prevalent. For Oils, Sable is a favourite but because of the medium's heavy viscosity and rapid 'clogging' of pigment in the brush head, it isn't greatly favoured by frequent users as the price is a high one to pay. There are excellent alternatives of stronger Nylon filaments to suit the oil painter and my ranges of Shiraz, Ivory and Chungking Bristle are prime examples. A popular choice for acrylic painters are also Shiraz, Ivory and any of the Golden Synthetic ranges. Mongoose is also a real treat to use!

Q. What is the difference between Long Handles & Standard handles?
A. Longer Handles tend to be around 10" to 11" long (depending on the size of the brush, the diameter of the ferrule dictates which length of handle gives the right balance). Standard are around 6" to 7". Most Watercolour and Acrylic painters prefer Standard Handles, Whilst Oil painters opt for Longer Handles.

Q. What is the difference between Kolinsky Sable & Red Sable?
A. Kolinsky Sable is the more expensive of the two and has a fine tapered point on each brush strand thus allowing the brushmaker to tap out and twist to a finer point. Both types of Sable are absolutely beautiful to use.

Q. In the descriptions of the watercolour brushes, what is the 'belly'?
A. Although a good point is essential it shouldn't be the sole criterion when choosing a Pointed Round Brush. The belly of the head is where the bulk of the liquid is held and the most bulbous part, this is when balance is achieved. The bellies of the hairs must be located in the lower half of the head i.e. close to the ferrule than the tip of the brush. If the bellies are too high, the brush will feel 'lifeless' and lack any resilience. To get the belly in the correct position, longer hairs than required are used and the excess cut off inside the ferrule to accommodate the handle. Of course, shorter hair is less expensive but if used to make a large head just to lower the cost the the bellies will be too high.

Q. The protective cap which arrived with my new brush won't go back on now I've used the brush!
A. This is placed on the head by us purely to keep the brush in pristine condition in transit. Once natural hair is wet it will swell and the belly will expand thus making it nigh on impossible to squeeze back into the cap. I tend to throw mine away and store brushes without caps as this will allow the brush heads to remain dry and ventilated, also this discourages any mould.

Q. My Nylon brush has curled at the tip. What can I do?
A. You could try the ‘boiling water’ idea. Carefully pour boiling water into a suitable container, immerse the brush head for literally two seconds then reshape and allow to dry naturally. This sometimes revives the twist or curl. However, after continued use, Nylon will eventually curl.

Q. How long will my Sable brush last?
A. Depending on how often you use it and how you clean and condition it, a good Sable brush should give many years service. Rough paper and cheaper watercolours which contain ‘fillers’ can wear down your brush. Remember not to ‘scrub or mix’ paint with a good point!

Q. How do I know the brushes will be any good if i can’t try or see them first?
A. I offer a full money back guarantee if you are not delighted with my brushes. I take personal pride in my product and will only sell the same quality that I would expect to buy myself. If you haven’t heard of my company, then please ask around at your local art class. Most groups have my customers amongst them. Also, there is a ‘comments and reviews’ section on this website. I have many professional artists’ amongst my customer base, who I have served continuously for over a quarter of a century!

Q. In the Red Sable and Kolinsky Sable Pointed Round Series, Why is there a significant price increase between – eg. Size 8 & 10?
A. Sable hair is taken from the tail. When a tail is ‘dressed’ the hair is graded (sorted) by length. I usually work with around twelve different lengths from 12mm to 74mm. There are far less 74mm hairs on a tail than the shorter/medium hairs, hence we need more tails to produce the same weight. My brushes are costed on the ‘fill’ and weight of hair inside the ferrule. When I’m making a size 8 I use the shorter lengths of hair where as size 10’s require a longer length.

Q. Do you cut or trim the Sable hair to get a good point?
A. Ouch! No No No! The brush is formed in a ‘goblet’ (sometimes called a brass cannon) and tapped/twisted by hand. With experienced manipulation I can form a beautiful sharp point from the natural hair tips. As I’ve mentioned before, a smaller size brush would require the shorter lengths of hair progressing to the longer lengths for the larger diameter brush heads.

Q. I’m just beginning watercolour painting, should I start with Sable? I only want the best.
A. I believe that starting with good quality tools will enhance your artwork and give you confidence. Poor quality brushes are a struggle, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to begin with Sable. Good quality Sable/Nylon blend are fine. Remember though that Nylon doesn’t hold the amount of liquid a Sable brush will and therefore you will be dipping into your palette more frequently. Nylon doesn’t ‘hold’ the liquid in the same way, it isn’t so controllable and will sometime ‘release’ the water where you don’t want it.

Q. When will my mail order arrive, how will the brushes be packed?
A. We endeavour to despatch all orders received on the same day by Royal Mail. Most of our customers receive their parcel within 24 hours. We use padded envelopes with cardboard inserts, thus preventing damage. Most letter boxes accommodate the packages. For the larger orders & longer handles we usually pack in a strong box.

Q. What happens if I'm out & the postman attempts delivery?
A. Usually the postman will place a card through your letter box advising you to call your local sorting office and re-arrange delivery or indeed you may collect from there yourself. Alternatively let us know any notes to write on your packet i.e: Leave in greenhouse / Leave with neighbour.

Q. My card won't go through on the shopping cart ?
A. Try typing the numbers WITHOUT spaces - this should work.